Archives for June 2015

June 7, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHAT ELSE MUST OUR GOD DO TO SAVE?

God is a Sovereign Majesty, an all-powerful, all knowing, all wise, and Omnipresence being, “every beast of the forest is [His], and the cattle on a thousand hills. [He] knows all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are [His]. “If [He] were hungry, [He] would not tell [us]; For the world is [His’], and all its fullness.” (Ps. 50:10-12) (NKJV)

And because of our inability to go to him like we would go to a friends house for dinner, as we knock and wait for a response to enter. Our God, comes to us. This awesome God, the Creator of all things, humbled and lowered himself a little lower than the angles, to come to the very one’s He created and not for the purpose for us to serve him as he sits in some royal court surrounded by an array of subjects.

No my friends, He came to serve. Which tells us, we are no longer lost sheep, He has found us, cleaned us up and now He is preparing us on every level for life eternal. But with that privileged, there is a responsibility, for  “whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Matt 10:22 (KJV) So we must now tell the good news, which let’s us know.

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Rev. 5:12 on our behalf. And now we should understand with no reservation that we are children of the King. So we now must give it all to the Master.

Not tomorrow, but at this very moment we have to put on the whole armor of God, “because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph. 8:12 (NKJV) And with this armor  Satan cannot  intimidate, or discourage us, because we are  children of the King and He protects His own.

And our faith also tells us, we have been chosen” for such a time as this. Because, “God from the beginning choose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called [us] by the gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught,” that tells us, “God cares for everything and sustains everything that He has created. He who upholds the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song without fear.

When men [and women] go forth to their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night, and when they rise in the morning; when the rich feasts in his palace, or when the poor gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly watched by the heavenly Father.

No tears are shed that God does not notice. There is no smile that He does not mark. If we would but fully believe this, all undue anxieties would be dismissed.” (Steps to Christ, A Knowledge of God, pp 86) But it is only when we believe those words with such a passion that we carry out the mandate of our Savior and carry our cross as we become “witnesses [for Him] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

June 6, 2015

MY FRIENDS, OH THE GRACE AND MERCY OF OUR RIGHTEOUS JUDGE!!

As we sit in court and listen at our case brought before the judge, we notice, as he listens he doesn’t look down at his notes or fumbles through a stack of papers going over our file, he listens attentively at every word spoken by the prosecutor and the defendant and then he makes a judgement based on the law not on our emotions.

So it is with our Savior, one day soon “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Corinthians 5:10 (NIV) My friends, God has herd the accusation against His children who have been His faithful disciple’s, while carrying their cross and witnessing to others.

Allegation and charges of Past sins and abominations. But, as we stand before the judge who is also our defendant, who knows through our faith and endurance that we are Repentant sinner’s because in the presence of the Lord daily, we laid prostrate before Him as we realized what Christ reparation was all about on our behalf.

In addition, as a Child of God we also understand that our only hope for Salvation was through the blood of Christ and the cross. That statement tells His chosen that our faith in what Christ has done for us, gives each of us hope for eternal life.

So now we are justified through our sincere belief in what the cross has done for us as we allow self to die daily through God’s Spirit as we Study the Word of God while standing in the presence of our Savior who Pardons and justifies us as an adopted child of the King.

And once our sincere repentance reaches the courts of heaven our Savior who is our Advocate, goes before the father, for John tells us in 1 john 2:1 (KJV) “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” who’s blood made this process possible.

And once before the father, He says, these are my children, “I reprieve them from the condemnation of death, giving them My life insurance policy—eternal life—because I have taken their place and have suffered for their sins. He [and she] is even My beloved sons [and daughters].”

Thus man [and woman], pardoned, and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ’s righteousness, stands faultless before God…..It is the Father’s prerogative to forgive our transgressions and sins, because Christ has taken upon Himself our guilt and reprieved us, imputing to us His own righteousness. His sacrifice satisfies fully the demands of justice (E.G. White Our High Calling, page 51)

And now we can sing praises to the king and say with full assurance that “Our hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness we dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean in Jesus’ Name.” But my friends, there are still challenges for most of us in allowing self to die and turning our life over to the unknown or just terrified where Christ my lead.

But we must all remember, when Satan places fear within us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim. 1:7 (NKJV) And now we must delight greatly in the Lord; for our soul rejoices, as we consecrate our life for the Good Shepherd who died on the cross for our Salvation and life eternal.

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

June 4, 2015.

MY FRIENDS, FOLLOW THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE!!

Forty years earlier, the Israelite’s stood at the threshold of the promise land, only to be denied entrance because the faithless multitude had refused to focus on where God had brought them from. But how does one forget the plagues of Egypt, and the Passover night, how does one forget the parting of the waters at the red sea?

How does one forget the food of angels from heaven for nourishment, and water from a mountain for thirst? What a sad scenario to have seen and heard the mighty power of God, and still be denied entrance to the Promise land. My friends, the power of God has not been hid from us, what a sad scenario to be denied into the promise land because of our unbelief.

Joshua Israel’s new leader, remembered listening to the reports of the twelve spies who said “We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey, but the people who live there are giants. But only Caleb and Joshua out of the multitude over twenty knew the power of God and what He had done for them in the pass and they also knew, He is the one who had created the giants.

“Let’s go take possession, we should be more than able to conquer it.” Were their words to the congregation, But Satan encouraged doubt from the faithless and now only Caleb and Joshua remained out of the million plus, who were over twenty who died in the wilderness. Yes my friends only two over twenty knew where God had brought them, only two over twenty had been this way before.

They knew from personal experiences what the fear of the unknown would do to someone who would not let the presence of the Lord determine their destiny. So that is why Joshua’s mandate to the multitude was to follow the covenant of the Lord “since you had never been this way before.”

So today as God’s Children, the journey we are now traveling to the promise land stands on the other side of our trials, and tribulations, it is unchartered territory to us, but our Lord and savior Jesus Christ has been this way before. He knows the rough terrain.

He knows the temptations and hardships one must encounter daily from the forces of evil, He knows the pain of the road we must travel, and the exhaustion of the constant battles from Satan. John 4:6 (KJV) tells us “Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well….” Yes my friends, even Jesus Christ got tired and weary.

But our Savior never lost focus of His goal, which was Calvary, not Jacobs well, so He continued because His love for us never wavered, He knew our fragile framework because He was our Creator; He remembered that we are made from the dust of the ground and what challenges we will encounter as we carried our cross.

But who else to Guide us along this journey but someone who has been this way before, and finished the course. So remember when you are overwhelmed with the trials of this life, remember our Savior has been this way before, He will guide us every step of the way on our journey to the Promise Land, if we believe and endure.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.” Psalm 73:23-26 (AMP)

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

June 4, 2015

MY FRIENDS, 21 CENTURIES LATER, NOW IT IS OUR TIME!!

On the day of Pentecost where suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, as it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on the whole assemble.

Acts is a history of the early church and the spread of Christianity among the Gentiles during this time period after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the struggles that the early churches encountered, and just like today, the Harvest was plentiful but the workers were few, as the call went out for his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

And once this happened, The love, grace and mercy of Christ was carried to the remotest parts of the empire and in a few generations Christianity had invaded nearly every level of society. The Apostle Paul, one of the main characters of Acts, we can all say with no reservations, has set the bar for discipleship, carrying your cross and witnessing to a level that very few are willing to go there.

And the reason is, simply, the world and if you are included in the world are just not willing to “Set all of one’s affection on things above, but on things of this earth.[that will eventually fade away]” Col 3:2 (NKJV) But I need you to ask yourself today, do I have this same passion towards discipleship, carrying your cross and witnessing as Paul?

And if the answer is no, then ask yourself in the presence of God why not? Because you know of Christ righteousness, you know of His love, grace and mercy, you know He died on Calvary for each of our sins and the sins of all the world, you know the prophecy of Matt. 24, and that it is being played out each day.

And you also know, that we are moving closer and closer to when God will say to his Son, let’s go get my faithful Children. They that are unjust, let them be unjust still: and they which are filthy, let them be filthy still: and they that are righteous, let them be righteous still: and they that are holy, let them be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man and woman, according as his work shall be. Rev. 22:11-12 (NKJV)

Nothing that has to do with our Salvation or the salvation of others has been hidden from you in God’s word. So where is our Passion for Salvation, and the Salvation of others as we take the good news to a world whose Spiritual compass is pointing toward perdition? Yes this Same Spirit that Luke wrote about in Acts, 21 centuries later, we can receive this same power.

In addition, God has chosen us to finish His work and it can only be done if we have the passion of Christ to do it. “The abruptness with which the book of Acts closes is not accidental; it deliberately suggest that the thrilling narrative is unfinished, and that the acts of God through the spirit are to have their sequel throughout the Christian dispensation each successive generation adding a chapter full of beauty and power to the one who preceded it. (E.G. White, Acts of the Apostles pp v)

So today my friends, ask yourself  how am I, that sit each week on my special pew at church, contributing to the continuation of acts “for such a time as this” in the 21^st century. This same Spirit, this same rushing,  violent tempest blast that set one’s tongue on fire is still available, it still seeks after, and lones for a few good men and woman.

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

June 2, 2015

MY FRIENDS, LISTEN AND LOOK IN THE MIDST OF THE NOISE AS YOU SEEK THE PRESENCE OF GOD!

My friends “be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:6 (NKJV)  As a Child of God, this Journey He has placed us on probably started years ago, but at times it seems as we move forward two steps in our Christian walk, we retreat five steps backward, which gives the impression in one’s mind that our spiritual growth is always moving in the opposite direction from where we started.

But today I need you to listen and look in the midst of the noise of your daily life and seek the presence of God as you ask yourself do I truly love God and if so do my daily action demonstrate that love? And if your answer is yes then Paul tells us “those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose….” Romans 8:28-30 (NKJV)

“All things work together for good” but only if we “Set our mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Col. 3:2 (NIV) Things above where a family union will take place soon that I hope we are all making plans of attending.

I call it family union simply because a reunion is the process of re-uniting, where as a union is more in the presence because once a bond is created that union forever exist and we are never separated. So by having such a union God cannot be a distance God, or a God that we have to wonder if He is a part of our life regardless of  the times He may conceal our request or the sound of His voice in order to strengthen our faith.

But once that bond is formed, we then have developed a togetherness that will carry us throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. In addition, a bond or union will hold under all circumstances and situations therefore being in God’s presence tells us that the Lord, He is the One who [goes before each of us.] He will be with [us], He will not leave [us] nor forsake [us, so] do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deu. 31:6 (NKJV)

That union holds true also with our love one’s who have fallen asleep in God, because as a Child of God we should not be “ignorant, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest [we] sorrow as others who have no hope.

So a united bond was set while they were with us which allows them to be forever in our presence and with that hope and promise from our Savior what we look for is just a continuation of the union and togetherness that we feel from within for God and family, minis sin and the god of this world that continues to tell God’s chosen that his way is what we seek.

My friends our struggle with sin will never be over until God says “it is finished.” We often speak about sin in the past tense but Behold, [we were] shaped in iniquity; and in sin did our mother’s conceive each of us.” Ps. 51:5 (KJV)

In addition, sin is a part of our DNA, but the good news is, the transforming blood of Christ who died at Calvary, which because of the shedding of His blood, a transfusion will take place along with a continuous flow that will keep us focused on our journey to the promise land, if we will listen and look in the midst of the noise as we seek the presence of God and life eternal!

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY